The preent invention relates to a new and improved construction of a stirrer apparatus for paper stock or the like.
In its more specific aspects the present invention relates to an improved stirrer apparatus for paper stock or the like, wherein there is provided at least one vane shaft located within a stock container or the like, the vane shaft being provided with protruding turbulence or agitation elements. The vane shaft is operatively connected by means of a drive shaft with a motor drive arrangement and during operation revolves or orbits in a substantially circular-shaped path of travel about a central axis.
Such type of stirrer apparatus is known to the art from German Pat. No. 1,913,819. With this state-of-the-art equipment the vane shaft travels about a central shaft which is arranged substantially in parallelism therewith. This central shaft is supported at the floor or base of the container within a footstep or base bearing structure and possesses lateral arms or arm members equipped with bearings for the vane shaft. The footstep or base bearing arrangement of the central shaft and the lower bearing of the vane shaft are located within the stock suspension.
This known stirrer apparatus is relatively complicated. Additionally the bearings located in the stock suspension are loaded in an unfavorable fashion.